Money Money Money

Being a student can be a drain on your finances, but thankfully Nouse have some top tips for saving money this year

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Cook your own food. The hectic uni lifestyle will make it seem enticing to eat out or live on ready-meals but both are an expensive indulgence. Once you've worked out a small repertoire of quick meals, it will be easy, and much, much cheaper (not to mention healthier) to make the effort yourself.

Be laundry-smart. Once you've navigated your way through the web of confusion that is Circuit Laundry, there are some ways to save on clothes washing, such as doing big loads every few weeks and hand- washing small loads in between. It is also worth investing in a clothes airer to save on tumble-drying.

Work together. When it comes to com- modities like ketchup or salt or washing up liquid, you are unlikely to get through an entire bottle on your own. If you can persuade your flatmates to chip in for a large communal bottle, then you will save money and protect yourself from the trau- ma of seeing eight practically full bottles of ketchup thrown away at the end of the final term.

Explore the joys of second-hand. If you're itching for a shopping trip but wary of up- setting your bank account, try out a couple of York's charity shops. Admittedly, you have to work harder to find nice things than you would in Topshop, but look hard enough and you can often dig out some gems.

Brave the walk to Aldi. As you will discover, it is a bit of a trek from campus to get to York's only discount supermarket. You will no doubt be tempted to shop elsewhere, but resist the temptation because, compared to anywhere else in York, Aldi is miraculously cheap. If the idea of that cold, lonely walk puts you off, then attempt the expedition with some friends and it will barely seem like a chore.

Cut down on meat. Meat is probably the most expensive food item on your shopping list, so cutting it out of your diet will save you far more than you realise. Another bonus is that it is a lot easier for the uncon- fident student chefs to avoid accidentally poisoning themselves if they're not trying to cook with meat.

Pre-drink. Buying drinks in clubs will drain your bank account faster than you can say Fibbers, so if you do drink, make sure you source your alcohol from a supermarket (again, not Nisa), and drink before you go out. Alternatively, a good way to save mon- ey is to drink less. But that might be easier said than done...

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